Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

 Pages: 870

"Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of a tragic death, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined."

This series is one of the best YA series I have ever read. The author has made me fall for so many of the characters, the representation is on point as is how she handles mental health. This is certainly the darkest of the three books but the ending was absolutely phenomenal. I truly hope we get to see the Blackthorn family more in future books. Though I think I may have to take a break from this universe to recover from the emotional damage.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

 

Pages: 699

"Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides? Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own."

I don't have words. The ending has ripped by heart out and run all over it. I want to throttle so many side characters. The Blackthorns don't deserve this. I am scared for Ty and how he will react in the next book but I am going to read it anyway cause I have so many questions and no answers!

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 688

"Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?"

I absolutely loved this book. The angst was a little drawn out for me, but the characters and plot made up for it. I was not expecting the neurodivergent representation and fell in love with Ty. I hope we get more of him in the next two books. I really liked the weaving in of the poem into the story and could not stop reading the last 200 pages. Everything was happening at once and so many reveals were made. I cannot wait to start the next book!